Hungary’s foreign minister sees opportunities for Hungarian companies in Uzbekistan

The Uzbek economy harbours huge opportunities for Hungarian exporters given its impressive growth even by Asian standards, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday after inaugurating Hungary’s new embassy in Tashkent.

Opportunities abound in food-industry and animal-husbandry technologies as well as in pharmaceuticals and water-management technologies, Szijjártó told MTI by phone after talks in Tashkent.

The Uzbek economy grew by 7.8 percent last year and it is expected to grow by 6 percent this year, Szijjarto said. The country plans to open up to the world and its economy is being liberalised. Further, the national currency is planned to become convertible and a five-year economic development scheme is under way, he added.

Explaining the necessity of opening a Hungarian mission in Tashkent, the minister said “it is impossible to be successful here without maintaining a personal presence”.

Hungary is the 11th European Union country that has an embassy in Uzbekistan and the other three Visegrad Group countries had already opened their embassies in Tashkent because they had recognised the opportunities represented by the region, Szijjártó said.

At talks with Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and various ministers Szijjártó agreed that Tashkent would offer opportunities to Hungarian companies in three areas.